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Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant (born 15 January 1983) is a former Liverpool midfielder. He played for Liverpool from 2006 to 2009 before departing to Real Zaragoza. Liverpool career Pennant signed for Liverpool on July 26, 2006, on a four year contract for a fee of £6.7 million, potentially rising to £8 million with add-ons. It is understood that Arsenal will receive around 25% of the fee. After impressing in pre-season, Pennant made his Liverpool debut against Maccabi Haifa in a Champions' League 3rd round qualifying match at Anfield where he went on to win the fans' Star Man award. Such an impressive start to his Liverpool career has seen him being compared to his boyhood heroes John Barnes and Robbie Fowler. Pennant now appears settled in the Liverpool First Team. On the 20th of January, 2007, he scored his first, and hitherto only, goal for Liverpool in their 2-0 home victory over Chelsea in the premiership. Pennant would later go on to produce an excellent performance against former club Arsenal F.C. playing a key part in three of the four goals the Reds produced as they cruised to a 4-1 victory. After not being chosen for the England squad to play Israel and Andorra in March, 2007, Pennant expressed the lack of recognition from England manager, Steve McClaren, as 'frustrating'. Pennant was critically acclaimed for his performance against AC Milan on the 23rd May 2007. Arguably one of the best players on the Liverpool team that night, Pennant made dashing runs on the right flank, and supplied a number of good crosses in towards the strikers. This allowed him to receive the man of the match award for the Champions League Final. Following this performance, it was confirmed he will remain at Liverpool next season, along with few of his current team mates, as Rafael Benitez claims he will make major changes to the clubs squad. Pennant started the 2007/08 season in the same fine form that he had finished the previous season with, putting in good performances on either flank as Liverpool surged to the top of the league table in the first month. He was however, again ignored by McClaren for the English team in their European qualifying matches against Israel and Russia, despite the backing of Liverpool manager Benitez. As Liverpool struggled to regain their good early season form following the international break, Pennant too could not maintain his excellent start to the season, culminating in a needless sending off - the first red card of his career - against FC Porto in Liverpool's opening Champions League match of the season. This was also Liverpool's first red card in 5 years, in the Champions League. Off the pitch, teammates Alvaro Arbeloa and Peter Crouch recently revealed that Pennant was the joker of the club and often amused his teammates with his antics. Pennant opened his goal-scoring account with a stunning volley vs Chelsea, but hasn't scored since. Jermaine made his return from injury after being ruled out in November 2007, against Wigan, where he started the game and played until the 86th minute, when he was substituted for striker Dirk Kuyt. The match ended a disappointing 1-1. Stats External links * Pennant Pennant